Sometimes, the thing you didn’t plan out turns out to be the best thing for you. For Junior Ava Mattson, this was the FHC’s Media Communication (Media Comm) course, and later TV Broadcast Lab (FX). When curating her schedule her freshman year, Ava discovered that there was only one last class she could take, and that was Media Comm.
Lacking prior knowledge regarding Media Comm, Ava was unsure whether or not she was a good fit for the class. However, after finding support from her peers and embracing the circumstances, Ava began to thrive in this new environment.
“I took Media Comm in my freshman year because it was one of the only classes left available to take, and I thought it could be interesting,” Ava said. “After spending the semester in the class, I realized how much fun I was having behind the camera and being able to share my ideas.”
Upon discovering her passion for film, Ava began to take the next steps to fully embrace this new mindset. Although Media Comm prepared her well for FX, Ava still felt hesitant about joining it.
When voicing her fears regarding FX, Ava found comfort and support through her peers, something she’d grow used to from her future film community. The solid friendships she would gain through FX became one of the pivotal reasons Ava would grow to love film.
“When it came to picking classes for the next year, I was a little afraid to take FX as a sophomore because I knew it wasn’t a big thing,” Ava said. “But later that summer, I met [current senior] Hailey Beels, and she convinced me that it would be fun to take. She really took me under her wing and really encouraged me in the class.”
While her relationships blossomed, FX shaped her academics as well. The collaborative aspect of the class allowed Ava to train her skills as a teammate, while the interactive nature allowed her to push herself creatively.
The creative aspect of film has recently been pushed to its limit when Ava’s class was assigned to create a film for the FHC Film Festival. Working with her team, Ava has committed herself to fully envelop herself with film.
“FX has shaped me academically by giving me the opportunity to learn to work with others,” Ava said. “It’s helped me be more open about my ideas that I’ve had, whether that was with stories or our movie.”
Regarding Film Fest, Ava was full of excitement. Considering the circumstances of how Ava ended up working in film, it has gone well above expectations. The festival was not only a chance to present her work, but to see how far her classmates had come as well.
Her group had been working on the film The End of Us for almost a year. Her group, including Hailey and junior Reese Clarkin, have all deepened their friendship dramatically during the process.
“I [was] very excited for Film Fest,” Ava said. “Hailey and I have been working really hard all year to plan out this movie, and we [had] just turned in our final film, so I [was] very excited for our film and to see everyone else’s films.”
However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in FX. As fun as film can be, it can also turn stressful rapidly. Impending deadlines and shortened work time can force teams to go into a time crunch.
Time crunches can also be caused by the large versatility that comes with film. Editing, screenwriting, and filming all take time, even with a hardworking group. Yet the versatility still works as an advantage for Ava as it expands her tool set, not only as a filmmaker, but as a person.
“Sometimes the class can be stressful due to deadlines; we have two weeks to plan, film, and edit a story,” Ava said. “And as Film Fest is approaching, we’ve had five deadlines alone since coming back from spring break.”
Overall, however unlikely, film has become an integral aspect of Ava’s life and possibly future career. Film has become a catalyst for Ava to send a message creatively while growing her skills alongside friends and peers.
The understanding and comforting community in FX has become a space Ava looks forward to throughout her school day. Regarding joining FX, Ava highly recommends that everyone join, no matter their film background.
“Overall I would recommend this class to anyone who even thinks they would enjoy it and has a creative side,” Ava said, “There’s never a day in FX where I’m not laughing about something or another and if anyone enjoys being around the camera whether that’s in front or behind it or editing I highly recommend this class to anyone.”
